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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $48-$75k)

273 Ranked Colleges
12,206 Degrees Awarded
$29,851 Avg Salary
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 14,528 people earned their degree in journalism, making the major the 62nd most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,042 and had an average of $24,628 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 12,206 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 273 colleges that offer a degree in journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality journalism programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the journalism program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 151 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $6,452 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Journalism at Northwestern University

#2

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington and Lee University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lexington, Virginia. It awarded 7 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Washington and Lee also took the #2 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee is $4,718 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Washington and Lee Journalism Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 233 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $13,227 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at UW - Madison

#4

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 130 students in 2019-2020.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,528 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Florida.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at UF

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 40 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle excels when it comes to journalism quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $9,694 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#6

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 277 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #6 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $12,556 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UMN Twin Cities Journalism Report

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,351 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UIUC Journalism Report

#8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#21 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $11,060 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Journalism Report

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 451 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $13,145 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Journalism at Mizzou

#10

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 142 students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #20 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,060 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Journalism Report

#11

Baruch College

New York, New York

Baruch College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,954 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Baruch College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Journalism at Baruch

#12

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

With a ranking of #12, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $11,161 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Journalism at UCF

#13

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $7,317 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Brooklyn College

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 113 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $7,549 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Journalism at Fresno State

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 172 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also took the #5 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,757 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UT Austin Journalism Report

#16

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. UGA is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 159 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $14,748 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Journalism at UGA

Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 58 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $12,466 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at BYU

California State University - Long Beach ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 101 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,807 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at CSULB

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 53 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Ohio State also did well on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $13,982 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Journalism at Ohio State University - Main Campus

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 17 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,907 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at CSUDH

#21

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

With a ranking of #21, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Morgantown, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 180 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend WVU is $13,220 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Journalism at West Virginia University

#22

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

With a ranking of #22, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 133 students in 2019-2020.

UMCP also took the #9 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $18,418 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at University of Maryland - College Park

#23

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming

University of Wyoming did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. University of Wyoming is a fairly large school located in Laramie, Wyoming that handed out 11 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wyoming is $11,491 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Wyoming Journalism Report

With a ranking of #24, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Iowa State is also in the top of our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $14,161 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Iowa State Journalism Report

Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,438 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at University of Minnesota - Duluth

Rest of the Best 41 in Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 41 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#30

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#33

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#34

Lehman College

Bronx, New York
#35

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#37

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#38

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#39

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#41

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.

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